The name Godsmen is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from from the baptismal name for the son of Godmund.[1]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)

Early Origins of the Godsmen family

The surname Godsmen was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Godsmen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Godsmen research.Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1528, 1601, 1601, 1583, 1656, 1649, 1699 and are included under the topic Early Godsmen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Godsmen Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Godsmen has undergone many spelling variations, including Goodman, Goodmann and others.

Early Notables of the Godsmen family (pre 1700)

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Godsmen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Godsmen family to Ireland

Some of the Godsmen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 139 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Godsmen family to the New World and Oceana

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Godsmen were among those contributors:

Godsmen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Godsmen, who landed in Virginia in 1653 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)

Citations

^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)

^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)